The Detroit Lions picked up their third consecutive win on Sunday, defeating the Cleveland Browns 34-10. However, the connection between Jared Goff and Jameson Williams still left something to be desired, as the Lions are searching for ways to get more efficiency from their aerial attack.
Goff performed solidly overall, throwing for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Yet his timing with Williams was inconsistent, as the receiver recorded only two catches for 40 yards. The limited production wasn’t from lack of opportunity — Williams was targeted eight times — but Detroit is now focused on identifying the reasons behind the struggles.
While Goff offered words of encouragement to Williams following the game, head coach Dan Campbell shed light on the issue Monday, taking some of the responsibility himself.
He explained that the team only conducted a walkthrough on Wednesday after playing the previous Monday night, which disrupted proper preparation for certain plays involving Williams. Campbell said it served as a valuable teaching moment and hinted they may hold off on certain concepts until they’re fully practiced.
“I hate to sound like I’m making excuses,” Campbell said in his weekly press conference. “We didn’t get to practice on Wednesday [because of the short week]. … Then you’re trying to squeeze in reps Thursday, but still make sure to hit your third-down work.”
“It’s a reminder for me that we need to either find a way to get those reps Wednesday or not install certain plays until we’ve had enough work on them.”
Jameson Williams Still Detroit’s Explosive Threat Despite Mistakes
For Williams, Sunday wasn’t one of his better outings. Though he led the team in targets, the results didn’t follow. Per Pro Football Focus, Williams dropped two of his eight targets, and another throw intended for him was intercepted. Goff also missed him on a deep shot that fell incomplete, drawing some criticism from fans.
Even so, there’s little reason to believe this will become a lasting issue. The 24-year-old wideout is coming off his strongest season, posting 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns, and he currently leads the NFL in yards per catch (21.4) through four games. Williams had 91 targets last season and remains on pace for a similar workload this year.
Detroit’s passing game also thrived despite his miscues. Amon-Ra St. Brown tallied seven catches for 70 yards and two scores, while rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs carried the load on the ground, rushing for 91 yards and a touchdown.
With 13 games still ahead, this could serve as a “practice makes perfect” scenario for the Lions, who were working off a short week after facing Baltimore on Monday night. With additional reps and sharper execution, Williams should bounce back quickly and apply the lessons learned from the team’s victory over Cleveland.
